The CEO Years P1 The Start and a Dissapearance
by CLS-SamuraiJack
Summary: SJ is running CLS but where has the old CEO got to?


**The CEO Years** - _The Start and a Dissapearance - May 2006._

CLS. Celestial Horizon Corp.

Just the name could invoke a wide group of reactions. Everything from "Oh shit, it's them. Run!" to "Oh god they are flooding the market again". _Guess it's nice to cover all the bases_, SJ mused as he swirled his whiskey in its tumbler. So long ago and yet so little time as well.

Life as a freelance mercenary hadn't exactly been going well since his expulsion from the Caldari Navy Special Ops Division. Sleeping with the Base Commanders daughters hadn't been one of my more intelligent decisions... Nor was being caught with his wife. Seems some people take things like that very badly.

Ishkur, then the CEO of CLS, had made him an interesting offer. Interesting enough that now, nearly 5years later... he was still here. Some good times and some fun stories over the years.

One of the most unusual ones had been when he got "The Call".

_Ramius Monteagne, wherever he is now, had decided to step down and picked me for the new CEO. Surprisingly despite my more... inventive approaches to management, things were moving smoothly. People seemed to like the idea. I'm still not sure if that scares me or not. What does bother me, and definitely Caytlyn Rose, is Ramius's disappearance. CLS was running ok, but would have been nice to have him around to ask questions or bounce ideas off. Ramius was Caytlyn's fiancé and not likely to have got cold feet. This only left a rather unpleasant alternative instead._

SJ frowned and poked at the data console again. More reports scrolled by, then a red highlighted one was displayed.

It was a feed from one of his agents. Last known location and direction of Ramius's crow had been deep into Concord space. Once inside Yulai he'd had been intercepted by a Concord fleet and nothing had been seen or heard of him since. Whoever or whatever had forced him to leave at such short notice was not to be trifled with. Kidnappings usually had ransoms. Blackmail leaves trails. Whoever had Ramius wanted him... "Disappeared". Totally off net.

SJ growled in frustration and swigged his cup of Java. Finding it cold he threw it at the bin by the door. The cup exploded and liquid pooled in the bin.

The door opened and Menolly Rose stuck her head round.

"I guess by your foul temper and another exploded cup that he's still missing?"

A grunt and a decidedly pissed off look confirmed her suspicions.

"He can't just vanish like that" she said.

"He can and has. Someone wanted him gone. Someone with money and connections. I mean Yulai Central FFS! Concord's home. Whoever did this has pull. Serious pull. What's worse? I haven't heard from my source since he dropped me that tidbit. Best guess is he's gone too. That's what's worrying me. Ramius has become a black hole." SJ swallowed his whiskey and poured another. "Its not regular government either. They leave trails. This is blackops. Spooks. Them that do not exist."

"They really that bad?" Menolly asked.

SJ nodded. "I had a brief run in with one after I did something dumb in the Navy. They don't play by the rules."

Menolly raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask hun... it's probably better..." SJ said.

Menolly looked at him quizzically but recalled Caytlyn's warnings about SJ and decided better of it.

"Want another cup then?" she asked.

"No thank you, but thanks for asking." SJ poured a whiskey out. "I need thinking fuel."

Menolly smiled and left. Not much thinking in a while she thought. She must talk to Eowyn about a medical for SJ... His liver particularly...

SJ sighed and picked up his whiskey. He wasn't looking forward to this. He headed for the accommodation block and punched the door chime.

"Yes?"

"It's SJ."

A pause... "Come in."

Taking a deep breath, SJ opened the door and strode in.

"Any news?"

SJ put down the whiskey and pulled her to him and hugged her tight. A slump in her frame gave away her feelings.

"I'm sorry hun. I've pulled all my strings I can. The hunters I put on his trail disappeared too. Someone wanted him gone. As best I can tell... He's alive. No-one goes through this kind of trouble to kill someone. They wanted him alive." He paused and stroked her hair. He could feel her crying softly.

"Caytlyn. I'll find him. By hook or crook. I'll find him."

He finished his whiskey and curled Caytlyn up next to him. "You want some company sweetie?"

"No more whiskey..." she went quiet. "But please... stay."

With that SJ pulled Caytlyn close and cuddled her. Someone was going to pay for this.


End file.
